Essential rules for budding PR pros

To succeed in the industry, keep an eye on emerging trends, recognize the changing nature of media coverage, emphasize visual content, embrace SEO, and measure, measure, measure.

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The practice of public relations has changed.

The Holmes Report estimates the global PR industry is worth $14.2 billion—up from $13.5 billion in 2014. It’s expected to reach $20 billion by 2020.

As PR budgets continue to rise, the day-to-day practice will evolve.

An agency employee starting today will be creating programs, telling stories and reporting to clients in ways that are very different from just a few years ago. In large part, that’s due to nuances in digital technology and the blurred lines between paid, earned and owned media coverage.

Here are the top “new rules” resulting from trends affecting PR professionals in the digital age:

Content, particularly visual content, is key.

Today’s PR programs are more about telling than selling.

More and more, clients want PR teams to tell stories that engage prospective customers or partners.

We still tell plenty of stories through our media relations efforts, but the old days of email blasts and smile-and-dial tactics are over.

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